Difference between revisions of "Spacewar!"
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It initially conceived by Stephen R. (Slug) Russell, J. Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and written by a varying combination, over time, of Graetz and Russell along with Dan Edwards, Alan Kotok, Robert A. Saunders, Peter Samson and Steven Piner. | It initially conceived by Stephen R. (Slug) Russell, J. Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and written by a varying combination, over time, of Graetz and Russell along with Dan Edwards, Alan Kotok, Robert A. Saunders, Peter Samson and Steven Piner. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Ports to other computers== | ||
A version was later made available for the [[IMLAC PDS-1]]; [[object code]] for several revisions of the IMLAC version seems to exist. | A version was later made available for the [[IMLAC PDS-1]]; [[object code]] for several revisions of the IMLAC version seems to exist. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Stephen Russell ported the game to the Stanford PDP-6, and it was later updated to run on the SAIL PDP-10 and III displays. Back at MIT, there was a parallel development to port the game to the AI lab PDP-6 and 10. | ||
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| + | Various versions were available for the PDP-8, PDP-9, PDP-11, and PDP-12. | ||
{{semi-stub}} | {{semi-stub}} | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| + | * [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/rle_pdp1/spacewar/ spacewar] sources at [[Bitsavers]] | ||
* [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - PDP-1/Spacewar! project at the [[Computer History Museum|CHM]] | * [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - PDP-1/Spacewar! project at the [[Computer History Museum|CHM]] | ||
** [https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/DEC/pdp-1/DEC.pdp_1.102664173.pdf spacewar 4.4] - source | ** [https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/DEC/pdp-1/DEC.pdp_1.102664173.pdf spacewar 4.4] - source | ||
** [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/_media/pdf/DEC.pdp_1.102664469.pdf PDP-1 Computer and Space War] - brochure showing Spacewar! being used by DEC for marketing the PDP-1 | ** [https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/_media/pdf/DEC.pdp_1.102664469.pdf PDP-1 Computer and Space War] - brochure showing Spacewar! being used by DEC for marketing the PDP-1 | ||
| − | * [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - a wealth of material | + | * [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/ Spacewar!] - a wealth of material about the recovery |
** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/ Inside Spacewar!] - "A Software Archeological Approach to the First Video Game" | ** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/ Inside Spacewar!] - "A Software Archeological Approach to the First Video Game" | ||
*** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/insidespacewar-minskytron-hyperspace.html Intermission: Digging up the Minskytron Hyperspace] | *** [https://www.masswerk.at/spacewar/inside/insidespacewar-minskytron-hyperspace.html Intermission: Digging up the Minskytron Hyperspace] | ||
* [https://www.wheels.org/spacewar/index.html Spacewar] | * [https://www.wheels.org/spacewar/index.html Spacewar] | ||
| − | * [http://www.ubanproductions.com/ImlacDocs/minispacewardoc.pdf Mini Space War 1.0 C3] | + | * [http://www.ubanproductions.com/ImlacDocs/minispacewardoc.pdf Mini Space War 1.0 C3] - the IMLAC version |
** [http://www.ubanproductions.com/imlac_sw.html Imlac Software Library] | ** [http://www.ubanproductions.com/imlac_sw.html Imlac Software Library] | ||
| − | [[Category: Games]] | + | [[Category: Video Games]] |
Latest revision as of 13:18, 16 July 2025
Spacewar! is perhaps the earliest widespread video game. It was written at MIT for their then-new DEC PDP-1 at RLE, using the Type 30 Visual CRT Display vector graphics display on the machine.
It initially conceived by Stephen R. (Slug) Russell, J. Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and written by a varying combination, over time, of Graetz and Russell along with Dan Edwards, Alan Kotok, Robert A. Saunders, Peter Samson and Steven Piner.
Ports to other computers
A version was later made available for the IMLAC PDS-1; object code for several revisions of the IMLAC version seems to exist.
Stephen Russell ported the game to the Stanford PDP-6, and it was later updated to run on the SAIL PDP-10 and III displays. Back at MIT, there was a parallel development to port the game to the AI lab PDP-6 and 10.
Various versions were available for the PDP-8, PDP-9, PDP-11, and PDP-12.
See also
Further reading
- J. M. Graetz, The Origin of Spacewar, Creative Computing, Volume 7, Number 8, August, 1981
- Joseph F. Goodavage, Space War, Saga, November 1972
- Stewart Brand, Spacewar: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums, Rolling Stone, 7 December 1972 - famous article
- Matthew Lasar, Spacewar!, the first 2D top-down shooter, turns 50, Ars Technica, Oct 25, 2011
- Ryan P. Smith, How the First Popular Video Game Kicked Off Generations of Virtual Adventure, Smithsonian Magazine, December 13, 2018
External links
- spacewar sources at Bitsavers
- Spacewar! - PDP-1/Spacewar! project at the CHM
- spacewar 4.4 - source
- PDP-1 Computer and Space War - brochure showing Spacewar! being used by DEC for marketing the PDP-1
- Spacewar! - a wealth of material about the recovery
- Inside Spacewar! - "A Software Archeological Approach to the First Video Game"
- Spacewar
- Mini Space War 1.0 C3 - the IMLAC version
